Facing the Old
by Fyliwion
Summary: Pointless New Years fluff Third in a collection of coming home fics.


-1Disclaimer: Do not own characters… all Goshos!

_A/N: It's completely pointless fluff… Yes its short… No it's not very plot oriented… and Not Aoko/Kaito- so I'm a bit sorry if the characters aren't as IC as they might be otherwise… however in the tradition of every New Year- and in honor of my Third Year in the fandom to the date- I have decided to add a third part to my collection of New Years fic. Thus I give you the third addition to my New Years Miracle fics! _

Funny that he could actually see his house from where he was sitting, but somehow even after all he'd been through he simply lacked the courage to go in.

No doubt the Toyamas were probably there too, but if anything it made him more apprehensive. How could he approach the building knowing eminent death waited inside?

And Kazuha…

As much as he wanted to see her, she'd probably turn her back to him and walk out in anger- although she did have every reason to.

So instead he sat staring at the glowing street lamp, waiting for the heavy clouds to drop snow on his head, and hoped his suitcases weren't soaked completely through from the drift they were sitting in.

It wasn't fair really. Kudo _knew_ he had Ran waiting for him. There was no doubt. He'd probably receive a wedding invitation by the next week, if not get a call in the morning. But Kazuha-

She probably hated his guts. She probably never wanted to see him again, or speak to him for that matter… Honestly at that point he would simply be glad if she so much as looked at him, even if any shot he had with her was gone to hell.

He wasn't even sure she had even felt that way towards him before he left. He hadn't even known until months later, completely cut off from her, and realizing he was going crazy if he didn't hear her scream "Ahou!" soon.

Yet he didn't have the courage to walk up to the door and knock, no matter how much he wanted to go home.

The cold swirled about him through the darkness, almost like some sort of empty cloak that draped about his shoulders. He ignored it, almost thankful for the numbing feeling. Everyone else would be inside enjoying tea and the warmth and friendship. He wasn't even certain he deserved it.

True Kudo would have died without him. True they did bring down one of the largest terrorist groups in Japan. True he'd managed out safely and saved however many lives… even if they did it all without any publicity whatsoever.

But he couldn't help but wonder exactly what he lost in doing so.

Heiji leaned back and shut his eyes…

…To hear soft footsteps nearby a few moments later, and cracked an eyelid to make sure some forgotten about assassin hadn't decided now would be a good time to jump him.

Rather he was met with wide green eyes staring at him belonging to a girl standing in the middle of the sidewalk clutching a bag of groceries. She seemed to be trying to decide whether she was hallucinating or not, and Heiji wasn't all that sure himself.

She didn't say anything but continued to just stand there, and finally Heiji decided if the idiot wasn't going to do anything herself maybe he should. So he stood up and walked towards her trying a hesitant smile.

"Hey?"

She simply looked at him with wide eyes.

"Uh… 'Zuha?"

"It's you…" her voice was even and he twitched.

"Err… yeah…I"

Something flashed in her eyes and before he could blink she had dropped the groceries and threw her arms around his neck, "You're not dead!"

He stared down at the girl hugging him and wrapped his own arms around her grinning, "Stupid. Of course I'm not… why would you think something as idiotic as that?"

"Ahou!" she yelled and he felt something hit the side of his head.

His grin spread, "You have no idea how much I missed that…"

She gave him a marginal glower, but her eyes never left his as she looked at him. He moved his hand from where he was holding her and ran it along her cheek. Her eyes went wider and he chuckled. "I missed you too…." he added wondering at the fact he wasn't laying half dead on the sidewalk yet.

"…At least you knew I was still alive…" she muttered. He supposed she was trying to sound angry, but he couldn't notice the way there was a blush spreading across her cheeks. It looked pretty.

"Ah but I still have this… so I couldn't die-" he pointed out as he nodded towards his omamori.

"You still have it?"

"Of course…" his eyes locked with hers, "I'm not a complete ahou."

"Yes you are-"

"Oh?"

"Aho-"

Mid-insult he leaned in and pushed his lips across hers. It was rough, unrefined, and not exactly what he'd been thinking of their first kiss during the whole time on the case with Kudo… but he was definitely not going to complain.

Apparently neither was she since it shut her up for once.

And as they pulled away, and he saw a shine come to Kazuha's eyes he knew it would be a great new year.


End file.
